THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to NEW DAY, everyone. It is Monday, July 15th.

Good morning, Chris. I'm Kate Bolduan.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Always working. Always working.

I'm Chris Cuomo, here with Michaela Pereira, who could have told me the camera was on.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Now, you're throwing me under the bus!

(CROSSTALK)

PEREIRA: I defended you!

BOLDUAN: Wow.

CUOMO: Appreciate it.

(LAUGHTER)

BOLDUAN: All right. Coming up, George Zimmerman is a free man this morning, and we're talking to the lawyer who helped get that not guilty verdict. More of Chris' conversation with defense attorney Mark O'Mara, straight ahead.

Plus, fans are mourning the loss of Cory Monteith. He played the lovable singing jock, Finn Hudson, on the big hit TV show, "Glee." We'll have reaction to his untimely death and the very latest on the investigation.

But first, let's get to Michaela for the stories making headlines.

PEREIRA: Yes, lots of stories in the news this morning. Making news:

After George Zimmerman was cleared of all charges in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, protests and a show of solidarity with Martin's family. Prayer services and more rallies happening in Florida today and tomorrow. Protests sprang up across the nation on Sunday in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit, Miami, and New York among other cities. BOLDUAN: Deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy and several leaders of the brotherhood are being investigated for allegedly killing protesters and spying. Prosecutors have also frozen the assets of more than a dozen people as they investigate violence in Cairo.

All of this as the interim prime minister begins filling out his cabinet and they take steps to form a civilian government.

Amazing video. A powerful explosion in Corpus Christi, Texas, was felt two miles away at a local TV station.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chris Diaz (ph) is here. Pretty nice to be out there --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, the studio has a little bit of a ruckus. We'll have to see what that's about. We might be making our own news.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: And they carried it on their broadcast. Friday's explosion and fire destroyed three homes, left two people in critical condition at a San Antonio burn unit.

The cause of that blast remains under investigation.

A surprising twist in a crime novel -- not about the plot, but rather the author. Turns out that Robert Galbraith who wrote a book called "The Cuckoo's Calling" was actually J.K. Rowling, the woman who gave us Harry Potter. She says it was a celebrating experience to write under an assumed name without any hype or expectation. Much more on this coming up a little bit later.

And, you know, I've got to say, a really good thing that Carly Rae Jepsen can sing, because her fastball needs a lot of work. She threw out the first pitch at the Ray's game -- she gives a great effort, but as you can see, a pitching coach needs to call her not maybe, but definitely. She's mortified. Don't they usually get a couple of go- rounds first? Like rehearsal.

BOLDUAN: Maybe she should have gone to the bull pen a little bit.

CUOMO: There was a word that one of the coaches called very late for her to check off to first base. She's already in the motion. She knew it would be a balk if she stopped the motion, so she just threw the bad pitch.

BOLDUAN: So you have her back, but you didn't have mine.

CUOMO: No, you had my back on that. You know, when threatened, I blame, immediately. So, you know --

PEREIRA: Your first reaction.

BOLDUAN: Apparently. CUOMO: Gladly, you both made it very clear it was all about me and my fault. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.

All right. New information for you this morning. We are learning that approximately a dozen people were arrested in New York City overnight, protesting the not guilty verdict in the Zimmerman trial, a reflection of protests going on across the country. We had a chance to speak with George Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, and he answered all questions, including ones about the frustration surrounding the self-defense claim in this case.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Perhaps many people don't equate what happens to you when you get beat up with the proper justification for taking someone's life.

MARK O'MARA, ZIMMERMAN DEFENSE ATTORNEY: And that's a frustration that people have and I share it with them, because this is my life and I deal with this every day. When you have to look inside somebody's head, and in this case, they had to look inside George Zimmerman's head, as he was on the ground, with somebody unknown on top of him, doing basically whatever they were doing to him, and him not returning any blows, you don't know that the next shot on concrete isn't going to be the one that sends you unconscious.

You are allowed to react to your reasonable perception of potential injury, and I think anybody in that set of circumstances, screaming for help for 45 seconds, would say that they acted reasonably in stopping the attack.

CUOMO: Because at that point, legally, you are allowed to use lethal force to protect yourself?

O'MARA: George Zimmerman did not want to shoot anybody. I think it's a testament to the fact that he didn't want to shoot anybody that he went through 45 seconds of screaming for help before he did. I wish people would look at it through that filter. I think they'd understand the very unfortunate and tragic circumstances that unfolded that very night.

CUOMO: Taking a half a step back, we talked about the 911 operator, saying to Mr. Zimmerman, "You don't need to do that, we don't you need to go after him," and then he goes after him anyway. Do you think that that is something that George Zimmerman wishes he could take back, that decision?

O'MARA: You know, he has gotten criticized, because he wouldn't have changed anything. Does he wish that he'd never gotten out of the car? Does he wish he'd never went to Target? Absolutely.

But let's remember that he got out of the car at the precise moment after the 911 or non-emergency operator said, where's he going? What's he doing now? He had said that on three separate occasions. So it's a tragedy, but I don't think that it was George Zimmerman's fault in the way this thing unfolded.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: And you have to remember, Mark O'Mara doesn't have to answer any of these questions. The case is over, the verdict is in, he won, right? His client was acquitted. But he wanted to take them on. He knows there are a lot of interpretations of fact out there and we appreciated him taking the opportunity to do so.

And we will play more of the interview with Mark O'Mara at the top of the hour.

BOLDUAN: Now, George Zimmerman may be a free man, as Chris was discussing with Mark O'Mara, but his future is anything but clear this morning. And he could likely face a difficult road ahead.

CNN's David Mattingly is live in Sanford, Florida, with much more on this side of the story. Good morning, David.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kate. George Zimmerman is no longer required to live just in Seminole County. He's not wearing an ankle bracelet, the authorities aren't tracking him anymore, but being acquitted doesn't necessarily mean that he is free.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We, the jury, find George Zimmerman not guilty.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): George Zimmerman is free to go wherever he can. The question is, where, when angry is sure to follow.

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, JR., GEORGE ZIMMERMAN'S BROTHER: He's a free man in the eyes of the court, but he's going to be looking around his shoulder for the rest of his life.

MATTINGLY: There have been tweets, e-mail, and letters wishing him bodily harm or death. He can forget about being a cop.

MIKE PAUL, REPUTATION MANAGEMENT COUNSELOR: My advice would be, you need to find a new passion. And it needs to be helping people in a very different way.

MATTINGLY: He'll also have to be wary of new friends.

GENE GRABOWSKI, CRISIS PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER: He's got to be very careful about who he associates with afterwards, even if they're offering financial support.

MATTINGLY: For a view of life after acquittal, Zimmerman needs to look no further than Casey Anthony, the hated young mother found not guilty of murdering her 2-year-old daughter. She has since lived in hiding and financial ruin.

Cheney Mason was her defense attorney.

CHENEY MASON, CASEY ANTHONY DEFENSE ATTORNEY: You never know who the nuts are and where they are. There are still people that threaten me.

PROTESTERS: Not one more! Not one more!

MATTINGLY: Experts advise Zimmerman: disappear, if that's possible. Be contrite. And try not to give the appearance that he beat the system.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: And George Zimmerman is not entirely without resourcing. Remember, there are hundreds of people sending him cards and letters of support, even contributing to his defense fund. He also has the strong support of his immediate family -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: David, we'll be watching that. Thank you so much.

Coming up next hour, we are going to interview George Zimmerman's brother, Robert, you see him right there, and what he says about George's reaction to the verdict, and as David was just looking at, his newfound freedom. It was a very interesting interview with him.

CUOMO: Robert Zimmerman, a very intelligent, articulate, obviously zealous defender of his brother.

BOLDUAN: Right.

CUOMO: But he knows the issues of the case very well. We'll take a quick break on NEW DAY.

When we come back, the premature death of a rising star. What do we know about what might have killed Cory Monteith? The autopsy is set for today and we'll bring you the latest.

BOLDUAN: Plus, today's must-see moment. If Dave Matthews needed you to drive him to his own concert, what would you say?

CUOMO: No, you've got to sing it.

BOLDUAN: OK. What would you --

CUOMO: No, what would you say --

PEREIRA: Nice.

CUOMO: I'm back? Am I back?

PEREIRA: You're back!

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CUOMO: Welcome back to NEW DAY, everybody.

An autopsy is scheduled for later today in the death of Cory Monteith. The star of the hit TV series, "Glee," was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room. He was only 31 years old.

That sits with you. Only 31 years old. This was shocking, to say the least, by all accounts. Cory Monteith was premiering for season five of "Glee." He appeared at a promotional shot with the rest of the cast on June 28th. Now, less than a month later, we are all asking, what happened?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

TURNER (voice-over): Cory Monteith entertained millions as the singing football player on "Glee." Sadly, that voice was silenced on Sunday. The 31-year-old actor was found dead in is a Vancouver hotel room.

LISA LAPONTE, BRITISH COLUMBIA CHIEF CORONER: Cause of death was not apparent on initial examination. And further examination and tests will take place to determine cause of death.

TURNER: As Canadian authorities investigate what killed him, the shocking news of his death hit friends and colleagues hard.

Unlike his clean-cut alter ego, Finn Hudson, Monteith had a troubled youth. He described himself as an out-of-control drug and alcohol- abusing teen who was skipping school to drink and smoke pot by the age of 13.

CORY MONTEITH, ACTOR: For me, it wasn't so much about the substances, per se. It was more about not fitting in, just a lack of not really having a self image at the time, which is, that's just like typical teenager stuff.

TURNER: Despite his success in "Glee," Monteith continued to battle his substance abuse demons. Earlier this year, he checked himself into rehab. His friend, "Glee" director Adam Shankman, spoke to Monteith hours before he was found dead.

ADAM SHANKMAN, FRIEND OF CORY MONTEITH (via telephone): I had several interactions with him yesterday, where he said to me that he was feeling amazing and even said, I'm feeling fantastic again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TURNER: Very sad.

Investigators have not officially tied Monteith's death to substance abuse, but Vancouver police have already ruled out foul play. Now, he does have an autopsy that is being conducted today.

CUOMO: Now, you know, who knows what they're going to discover, but there's an interesting window here into the substance abuse. People think that it's the end, but it's just the symptom of something else. Here, his self-image as a kid.

TURNER: And that battle continues every day. Even if you're feeling fine, it's still a battle every day. That's what addicts will tell you.

BOLDUAN: So young when that started for him.

CUOMO: But it happens like that very often.

BOLDUAN: Exactly.

Coming up -- thank you so much, Nischelle.

Coming up next on NEW DAY, a very fun day on the lake nearly turns tragic when the sand suddenly swallows a young boy. The dramatic rescue, ahead.

PEREIRA: Don't worry about it. You're not out of line. We're both excited about this picture. Come on, it's our must-see moment. A woman stops to help some guy on the side of the road who needs a lift. The guy, yes, his name is a Dave Mathews. You know him? This story, coming up.

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CUOMO: Dave Matthews is there and my wife makes me go off to him (ph) and say, "can you have him come here?" So, I said, "why do I have to?"

PEREIRA: It's a moment you'll see if that was the guy --

CUOMO: Really?

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PEREIRA: Imagine this moment as a fan? Make yourself a fan for a second. This is your must-see moment. See these photographs? Cue them now. There they are. That's Emily Crouse (ph) with her idol, Dave Matthews. How she got the pictures, though, is the cooler part of the story. So, she's on her way to one of his concerts in Pennsylvania.

She noticed a bike rider on the side of the road with a flat tire. So, she did the, you know, neighborly thing stopped to help, and guess what it turned out? It was actually Dave Matthews.

(LAUGHTER)

PEREIRA: So, Emily and her boyfriend gave Dave a ride to his own show. The rock star was apparently so grateful, he invited them backstage and even took them out to dinner. I think her life has been made.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

PEREIRA: Well, because he would have been missed the concert. He was like -- did she save the day.

BOLDUAN: He didn't have his cell phone with him, apparently.

PEREIRA: Well, when you're going to ride to your concert, do you have your --

CUOMO: On a bicycle.

BOLDUAN: When don't you have a cell phone? Dave, that makes me love you even more.

PEREIRA: You're a big fan, aren't you?

BOLDUAN: I am a big fan.

PEREIRA: You're kind of wishing that was you --

BOLDUAN: I'm really jealous of Emily right now.

(LAUGHTER)

BOLDUAN: Just going to say it (INAUDIBLE).

CUOMO: You have to be paying more close attention when you're on the road to those stranded bikers.

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BOLDUAN: Are you famous? Oh, if you're not them, I'm just going to leave.

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: No, she wouldn't.

BOLDUAN: I'm kidding!

CUOMO: That was a good one. Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Thanks, Michaela.

CUOMO: We need it. That's good to happen. Coming up on NEW DAY, we're going to have more of our conversation with George Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, including why he maintains Zimmerman had every right to defend himself against Trayvon Martin. BOLDUAN: Plus, we'll also hear from perhaps George Zimmerman's staunchest supporter, his brother, Robert. He tells us what lies ahead.

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CUOMO: Welcome back, everybody. The George Zimmerman trial has really affected all aspects of American society. Even athletes took to Twitter to express their feelings on the George Zimmerman verdict and had some very controversial things to say. Andy Scholes is joining us this morning as part of his "Bleacher Report." Andy, you there? There you are.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDY SCHOLES, BLEACHER REPORT: What's up, guys? You know, Twitter, it exploded Saturday night once George Zimmerman was found not guilty. And as you can imagine, emotions were running very high. And while many athletes voiced their disappointment with the verdict, Atlanta Falcons wide receiver, Rodney White, took it to another level.

His most controversial tweet read, "All them jurors should go home tonight and kill themselves for letting a grown man get away with killing a kid." White later apologized for that tweet saying, "I understand my tweet last night was extreme. I never meant for the people to do that. I was shocked and upset about the verdict. I am sorry."

All right, guys. One golfer to keep your eyes on this week at the British open is 19-year-old Jordan Spieth. The former All-American in Texas hold this shot from the bunker yesterday to force a playoff in the final round of the John Deere Classic. Spieth would go on to win the tournament for his first career victory. And he's the first teenager to win a PGA Tour event since 1931.

All right. Tonight, the home run derby at Citi Field in New York. The favorite to win it this year is Baltimore first baseman, Chris Davis. The Orioles (ph) crossed its league leading 37th homerun yesterday. Davis is on pace to hit 60 plus home runs this season.

And guys, you know, a big debate going on right now is if Davis ends up hitting 62 home runs, which is one more than Roger Maris hit back in 1961, should we consider him the new homerun king, considering you know, Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire did it, but they were amongst the steroid scandal going on back in the 1990s and early 2000s.

BOLDUAN: I say yes. That's my answer.

CUOMO: Respect him for being clean. You know, I finally got invited to the homerun derby, because it's here in New York. I think it's too late. It's too late. It's too late at night for us, because we have to go to bed. I don't know --

BOLDUAN: His new bedtime is around 7:30.

CUOMO: Yes. I know. I have to go to bed in like 15 minutes -- BOLDUAN: Exactly.

PEREIRA: Record it on your DVR.

BOLDUAN: Thanks, Andy. Thanks so much. Hope you had a good weekend. Do you hear it?

CUOMO: That is music. What does that mean?

BOLDUAN: That is music.

PEREIRA: Music to our ears.

BOLDUAN: You know what that means. It's time for the "Rock Block," a quick roundup of the stories you'll be talking about today. First up, Michaela.

PEREIRA: All right. Let's do that first stuff in the newspapers. From the "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette," a new trial today for Pennsylvania's controversial voter I.D. law. Critics say the law discourages young adults, the elderly, and minorities from voting.

From "The New York Times," retailers tracking the signal from your smartphone to monitor every move you make in their store. Nordstrom's, Family Dollar, Benetton among the businesses experimenting with this technology.

And from the "San Francisco Chronicle," a tighter leash on local dog walkers. Under a new law, they can only walk -- they cannot walk more than eight dogs at a time. I don't know about you, Christine Romans, but two is enough for me.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Two is enough for me, but that sounds like a good business model, doesn't it, Michaela?

OK. Record levels for the Dow and the S&P. And if Citi groups earnings and retail sales are in line later, we might be off to the races again. The Dow and S&P closed up 2.2 and three percent last year for the year. Stocks are up 18 percent, so far. The stock market steam roller continues.

It's going to cost you 4.5 more bucks every time you fill up. A gallon of regular unleaded rose by 1.3 cents to $3.51 a gallon a year ago. Gas prices were more like $3.39. You got a 20-gallon tank, 4.5 more bucks to fill up.

Higher gas prices won't mean much if you can afford to drive one of these. Over the weekend, a 1954 Mercedes-Benz race car sold for a record 30 million bucks. That car, $30 million. Let's get to our Indra Petersons in the weather center with all you need to know about the weather before you head out the door. Good morning.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning. OK. We think we're hot, Christine, but we're talking about 20 million of us are going to be feeling extremely hot today. Anywhere from Boston, down to Philadelphia, yes, 20 million of us dealing with temperatures that could have heat indices as high as 100 degrees.

As if above-normal temperatures wasn't bad enough if you're adding, of course, the high humidity to that. Worse than feel good (ph), around Texas, 20 degrees below normal. Thanks to low out there, but ultimately, one to three inches of heavy rain and flooding possible for them. Yes. Where else is it hot? For so many, it does feel like July.

Look at this, Ohio Valley, northeast straight down to the southeast, and yes, even on the west coast, temperatures are hot. It looks like Texas today, the only place feeling lile a little bit cooler than they should be. And that often doesn't happen.

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: It's so hot, but how hot is actually can be (ph). All right. Indra, thanks so much.

We're at the top of the hour, which you know, means it is time for the top news.